"These early residents
gave no name to their settlement - perhaps they had no desire to become a town
until the Milwaukee railroad was built, cutting the little group of houses into
two parts - those south of the tracks near the store and the larger number north
of the tracks.

The railroad officials and
Mr. E.W. Skinner, owner of the Skinner ranch east of town, thought there should
be a name given to the settlement and decided on the name of Hornick after John
Hornick who owned land adjoining the town. Hornick became officially known in
1887, the year the railroad was completed."

If you know of
any corrections or missing information please contact me.